


Same, But Different, and With A Lot More Scruff

by gingergallifreyan



Series: Hardy x Rose [2]
Category: Broadchurch, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Teninch, enemies to dating, lol, some swears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-03-26 20:09:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13865124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingergallifreyan/pseuds/gingergallifreyan
Summary: In a world where Journey's End didn't happen, Rose is sealed away in a parallel universe forever. The team gets a call about Cybermen beneath a school in the small, coastal town of Broadchurch. She doesn't expect to turn around and find a man who looks exactly like her Doctor, but is completely different (or maybe not so different) in personality (and is also scruffy).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The story of how Rose and Alec met, so this is before [Not Sorry, You Knob](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12339573) and [I Just Called to Say 'I Love You'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13785273/chapters/31688139).
> 
> The first chapter is from TwiWeasel, who had prompted: "Alright, how about "Quiet me" with Rose and your choice of Ten, Tentoo, or Hardy. As for who's being quieted and why...let's just say someone is loud and they aren't exactly in a private place. Work your magic!" (from [this list](http://gingergallifreyan.tumblr.com/post/170980680030/drabbles-send-me-characters-and-a-prompt) of prompts).
> 
> If you see anything else from the list you'd like prompted for Hardy x Rose, let me know in the comments or inbox me on tumblr!

Rose opened the car door and stepped out, turning back to grab her jacket.

Torchwood had received a call about the Cybermen in the small, coastal town of Broadchurch. Apparently, Mickey and his team had missed a crop, and they’d been found when some kids were messing about the school on holiday. They’d broken in and gotten underneath the school, and having discovered a hidden door, they kept following the passage and they’d found the Cybermen in a tunnel.

“DI Alec Hardy, Wessex Police.”

The Scottish burr took her by surprise, and she turned. And stared.

It was him. Same height and build. His eyes. His face. Hair was styled differently, but it was his.

And copious amounts of scruff. That was new.

“D’you have a name, or… ?”

She looked away. “Yeah. Agent Tyler, Torchwood. They said the Cybermen were below the school?”

“Yes.”

“Right. Well, we’ll just verify, and then our team will put a plan in place to be rid of them for you.”

“I need to see this, too. Let’s be on.” He walked towards the building.

She busied herself with putting on her jacket.

“Rose.”

“Mum.”

“You didn’t have to come, Rose. You can go home.”

“It’s me job, Mum. Cybermen? Of course I’m showing up.”

“He looks just like him. Don’t be stupid and don’t go down there with him.”

She rolled her eyes and turned. “I’m not being stupid.”

“You gonna be alright, sweetheart?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in a bit.” She turned followed him into the school.

Jackie turned to Pete. “She’s not going to be alright.”

Pete lightly smiled. “I knew that the moment I saw his photo. I guess Rose will have to deal with the whole parallel person thing. It’s about time, too. All of us had to deal with it.”

“He’s no Doctor, though.”

“No, he’s not. But we made it. She can, too.”

Mickey chimed in. “Rose would be pissed if she could hear you all right now, planning her future for her.”

Jackie nodded. “I know. But what are the odds we’d run into somebody who looks just like himself? Maybe he’s different, but that’s how it works. Nothing is exactly the same. It’s gotta be fate, that’s what it is.”

“From what I can see, he’s just like Big Ears, but in Chipper’s body.”

“Oh! You’re right.” Jackie grinned. “I see it.”

“He’s got the world on his shoulders, just like Leather did. I’d recognize that anywhere.” He laughed. “Even called me Rickey.”

Jackie sighed. “I’ll start planning the wedding.”

\--

“Are these real?” Hardy asked when they’d climbed down the ladder to the tunnel.

“Look at all of them. Of course they’re real. You can see them, can’t you? Can’t believe Mickey missed these back when. I’ll be sure to give him a good ribbing.”

“This is… they can’t be real. I wasn’t around here at the time. I’d sort of forgotten it even happened. The world’s returned to normal, hasn’t it?”

“How were you not paying attention while all this was going on?”

“I had other things going on at the time.”

“Well, I was in London in the thick of it. They’re very real, trust me. And if they were awake, they’d be a lot more terrifying.”

He glanced at her. “And Torchwood. I’d only heard whispers of some secret government organization that deals with extraterrestrials. Way higher than my paygrade. I wouldn’t believe it if you weren’t here in front of me.”

“Yes, obviously, we’re real. We’ll get a team in to install some industrial supports and lay some explosives. Or something like that. I’m not sure how it’ll work. It’s not my area of expertise, actually.”

“Is that gonna hurt the school?”

“No. This was sealed before, and it’s far enough underground. We’ll seal it again and set off the charges. They’ll be taken care of. Again, I’m not sure how they’ll do it.”

“How’d they even get down here? Wouldn’t anyone notice something being built beneath the school?”

“Beats me. You’d be surprised what people don’t notice. You said you weren’t really paying attention when this all went down in London.”

“True.” He walked up to one of the dormant metal men. He absentmindedly reached up a hand to touch it--

“BOO!”

He jumped. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck was that for?”

She laughed. “Your face! You should have seen yourself!”

“What the bloody _hell_ were you thinking?!” he shouted.

“Oh, come on. They’re dormant. Have a laugh, alright?”

He turned to climb up the ladder.

“DI Hardy, it’s not that serious.”

“Agent Tyler, that was completely unprofessional. I’m reporting you to your supervisor.”

She followed him up and out of the tunnel. “Good luck with that. He’s my father. He’ll probably laugh at you, too.”

“Oh, great. A government organization full of nepotists.”

“Hey, now. No need for that. We’re close, my family. We’ve been through a lot together.”

He refused to speak the rest of the way up.

Once they’d reached the outside of the school, she said, “Well, it’s not been a pleasure, DI Hardy. Lighten up a little, will ya? If you have any questions, give us a call.”

“And if I never see you again, it’ll be too soon, Agent Tyler.”

She glared at him. She pulled a device out of her pocket and pointed it at him.

“What was that? Why did it beep at me?”

“I’m doing a scan. You’ve got to be from the planet Miserabilia or somewhere. I’ve never met anyone more miserable.”

Jackie’s eyes grew wide and she looked at Mickey. “That’s not true!” she hissed. “That miserable sod of an alien, her first one, downright miserable, he was.”

“I’m not one of your bloody, stupid aliens!” the Scotsman shot back.

The device in Rose’s hand beeped a second time. She glanced down at it, looked at him again, _hmphed,_ and strode away to her car.

“Well?” He followed her.

“Well what?” she called out over her shoulder.

“What does your scanner say?”

She turned and walked backwards. “Ha! I thought you were _so_ confident you weren’t an alien.”

“I am. What does it say?”

She stopped, and her scowl fell when she read the screen again. “It says you should be grateful for that pacemaker, or you’d be in a heap on the ground.” She looked at him. “You’re not even that old. How do you even have one?” She turned and walked to her car.

He scoffed. “That’s none of your damn business. It’s not even relevant to this case.”

“Never said it was.” She pulled the handle and nodded to her family. “Anyway, this lot will see the Cybermen are dealt with. I’ll be out of your hair now, DI Hardy.” She drove off without another word.

The man walked to his vehicle and sat in the passenger seat.

A moment later, Mickey’s mobile rang. Rose, the screen read. “Oh, I’m in trouble.” He answered. “Yeah? Leaving so soon?”

“I hope you’re fucking happy with yourself. I don’t know what kind of shit stunt you’re trying to pull here, insisting I come along, but you’d better fucking stop it and apologize! You owe me a year’s worth of paperwork!” The call ended abruptly.

“Well?” Jackie prompted.

“She’s not happy.”

She smacked his arm.

“Ow!”

“I imagine she’s not. Because now she’s gotta come to grips with the fact that he’s not really coming to get her.”

“Who’s not?” DS Miller had stepped over and smiled. “Don’t mind me being cheeky. I do have a favor to ask, though.”

“What’s that?” Jackie asked, looking at the men. “Go get in the car, you two, and start sorting the paperwork. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

“Give me her number, please, if you don’t mind. I’ve worked with Hardy for a while now, and he’ll want to apologize sooner or later, after he’s done brooding about it, the miserable sod.”

“Is he always angry like that?”

“He’s definitely an acquired taste, but he’s better than he used to be. You should've seen him when he first moved here. Mind you, he’s been through a lot.”

“Rose has been, too. She smiles, but this’ll have drudged up a lot for her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she’s alright.”

“Maybe it’ll be good for her, though. She can finally put some things to rest.”

“Single, is she?”

Jackie smiled. “It’s complicated, but, yeah. What about him?”

“Definitely. I’m not one to meddle, but he’s definitely single. Got a daughter, though, teenager, almost adult. Good man, too.”

"Mind if I get your number, too? I'd like to stay in touch with you, if I can. I love new friends."

She grinned. "Absolutely!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gives her family the what's up for not telling her Alec Hardy would be at the investigation site. Her mum shares a bit of wisdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a few kudos on this fic and I Just Called in the last week or two!! Thank you for the feedback!

None of them heard from Rose for the rest of the week. That is, until she arrived at Sunday dinner, and she was none-too-pleased with everyone in attendance. She stood in front of the fireplace in the family room and glared at everyone.

“Sit down, will you?” Jackie prompted.

“No.”

Pete started. “Oh, come on, Rose. We--”

“What do all of you have to say for yourselves?”

They all sort of looked at her.

“Go on, then. You all must have had a good reason for it. Dad, did you know he was going to be there?”

“Love, I didn’t see his picture until we were on the way.”

“And you didn’t think to call my car and warn me?”

He looked at the floor. “It... passed my mind.”

“Because at least then I would have had time to prepare. Jackie?”

“Oh, I know you’re proper angry when you use my name. No, love, I didn’t know until we got out of the car.”

“So, Mickey, then. It was your job to assemble the team to investigate. I thought you’d put us all together because of the nature of the case.”

He held out his palms. “It started out that way, I swear. I didn’t receive the full file until after.”

"But you knew before we left?"

"Yeah."

Her nostrils flared. “And you didn’t think _once_ to warn me? I could have handled it. I could have taken it, I promise. Instead I had to turn around and see his stupid face standing in front of me, and--” Her voice broke and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

He rubbed his short-cropped hair. “I’m sorry, Rose. I could’ve handled it differently.”

Her eyes were suddenly tired, her voice even more so. “Yeah, you’re right, you stupid lump. You could have. I meant what I said about a year’s worth of paperwork. You owe me big time for this.”

Jackie interjected. “Sweetheart, do you need to talk about it? It’s gotta be hard, seeing himself, but it’s not really him. I know how you’re feeling.”

“No. I don’t need to talk about it.” She would have added a, "You don't know how I feel," but she knew that was far from the truth. 

“I think you do. If you don’t want to talk to me, find someone else to talk to, but you need to deal with the fact that he’s not coming to get you.”

Her jaw dropped. Did she think Rose was a child? “I know he’s not, Mum! Don’t you think I know that? After years of sitting here in a parallel world, living my life day after day, I know he’s not coming to get me!" She turned away and scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Trust me, I know that better than anyone.”

“You two boys, leave. Now.”

Mickey and Pete left for the dining room, the latter scooping up Tony on the way.

“Sit down, Rose.”

“I’m not.”

“Sit down.”

“I don’t need to sit!”

“Yes, you do. Get over here.”

Rose turned, tears welled up in her eyes and nearly spilling over. Her chin wobbled.

Jackie held out her arms, and Rose sank into them and cried. “Are you angry with him?” she whispered.

“Why hasn’t he come for me yet?”

She stroked her back. “I don’t know, love, but it’s been a long time.”

“He’s not coming, is he?”

“Not because he doesn’t want to. You know that. He'd have been here in a heartbeat if he could. Probably would have landed on my glass coffee table, too, just for good measure.”

Rose laughed in spite of herself. “He said he couldn’t because the two universes would collapse.”

“And then none of us would be here.”

“I just want to know he’s happy.”

“And I know he’d want you to be, however you spend this life. Whatever that means for you. Even if you found someone different.”

Surely, she couldn’t be referring to that cantankerous DI, whom she'd never touch with a barge pole or want to see or speak to ever again. Rose was all-too-familiar with that voice of suggestion. She sighed and backed out of her mum’s arms, wiping her face. “I couldn’t ever do that.”

“I know it would feel like you’re betraying him, but you wouldn’t be. I’ve been through this.”

“You didn’t really find someone after Dad. Not til the other Pete.”

“’S different when there’s a child. I didn’t want a man to be involved in your life and skirt away later. And it was easier for me without an emotional attachment. I just needed a bit of fun every now and then. Would I have liked for there to be someone more permanent? Yeah, but if there had been, you and I wouldn’t be here today. I’m convinced now that’s how it was supposed to happen. But my story isn’t yours. I got my own adventure when I met the new Pete. I think it’s time you make your own, whether someone else is in the picture or not.”

“But I’ve gone back to school. I have a degree now and I’m working on another. I’ve traveled a bit and done some things. I have friends. I love Tony.”

“But are you happy?”

“I’m fine, Mum.”

“Love, it’s like you’ve gone back to before him, like you’re waiting for something. Do you want to work at Torchwood your whole life? Is that what your Doctor would want for you?”

“I love working at Torchwood.”

“The whole reason you wanted to was because of him. What if you wanted to do something else?”

“Like what? What else would I do?”

“I don’t know, but maybe you should take some time to find out. I’m not saying you need to quit and I’m not saying you don’t do a good job. But you don’t have to be the Defender of the Earth for the rest of your life if you don’t want to be, just because that’s what he said. I think he'd agree with me for once in his life. It wouldn't make you any less of an extraordinary woman if you wanted to do something else. I think he’d want you to be happy more than anything."

Rose sighed.

"I’m not trying to tell you what to do because I know you wouldn’t listen anyway. Tyler women are stubborn as they come, and I raised you to be. I’m not saying this to take anything away from you. I’m only saying because I love you.”

“I know.”

“Just think about it. Pete would understand if you wanted to take some time off. It’s been a while since you’ve taken a holiday. Go to the beach and read a book, will ya?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets a surprising phone call.

As much as Rose hated to admit it, her mother was right, even a few days on. She’d been going through the motions for a while anyway. She loved her job, but it just hadn’t been the same.

But she couldn’t let it go. Because letting go would mean--

She jumped at her desk when her mobile vibrated. She didn’t recognize the number. “Rose Tyler.”

She heard a _thud_ , and then other sounds, as if the person had dropped their mobile and was trying to pick it back up.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Ehm, hi. You might not remember me. DI Alec Hardy, Wessex Police.”

She was irritated all over again. “Oh, yeah, I would most definitely remember a rude Scotsman. Didn’t I tell you that Torchwood was on the case? They’ll take care of the Cybermen for you. You needn’t contact us further. We’ll call you, and it certainly won’t be me, which would seem to be a satisfactory ending for this conversation.”

“I wasn’t calling about the case.”

“Then what could you possibly need me for, DI Hardy?”

“I’m trying to apologize, if you’d just give me a moment,” he said, a little curtly.

“Wait, you what?”

“I’m trying to apologize for being rude. My partner said I should. I hope you don't mind. She gave me your number.”

Rose heard a swat on the other end of the line.

“Ow! Miller, didn’t I tell you to go?”

She surprised herself with a laugh. He was an emotional toddler, wasn’t he? Not unlike…

No. She wouldn’t go there. He was nothing like the Doctor.

“Sorry,” he said. “She hasn’t left me alone about it, and I’ll admit, I was a bit rude, and I didn’t need to be. DS Miller, _out,_ and close the door.”

“Stubborn, is she?”

“Like a dog with a bone, but it’s good in this job. Maybe not for other things.”

She could picture his pointed glare at the woman. “I can imagine so.”

“Listen, I, ehm, thought maybe we could meet again.”

“You want to… meet again?” She honestly had no idea how to feel about that.

“Yeah.”

She couldn’t reply; her jaw seemed to be frozen open.

“We don’t have to. I just thought… well. I understand.”

“No! Wait, no, I don’t mean no. I just mean wait. Sorry. You don’t mean… like a date?”

“No. No, not a date. I just didn’t want that to be the impression you had.” He inhaled. “Of me, y’know. I’m not like that in real life.”

“You’re not?”

“No, I’m not.”

She sat back in her chair and folded her free arm across her chest. “So what would this… meeting entail? You want me to drive all the way back to Broadchurch just to give me a handshake or something?” Her voice held an air of amusement.

“No, no. This is my fault. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. My daughter wanted to look at universities around London for the weekend anyway.”

She smiled. “She’s that age?”

“Seventeen, yeah.”

“What’s her name?”

“Daisy.”

“That’s nice.”

“Florals. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“What?” She blinked, her mind scrambling. “Oh, my name is Rose.”

“Yeah.”

“Daisies are pretty flowers.”

“Roses are, too.”

She blushed.

“I mean, the flower. Sorry.”

Was he—was he actually trying to flirt? He was awful at this. It was entertaining, if anything. She smiled. “Of course. Ehm, London’s a bit far from Broadchurch. Are you alright with that?”

“I’m not, but she wants to get out on her own. I don’t blame her, and she probably needs to anyway. Find her own feet, y’know.”

“I understand that. My family’s here. She could meet my mum, if that’d make you feel more comfortable. Mum would check up on her for sure. She’d take her in like she was her own.”

“Maybe. Not this time, though.”

Mickey knocked on the door frame. “Rose, we’ve got that meeting.”

“Right, sorry. DI Hardy, I have to go.”

“Right. I’ll, eh, text you or something.”

“Yeah, please do. Thanks for apologizing. And I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have scared you like that.”

“It's alright. Bye.” He ended the call.

For all his bravado when she’d met him before, he was actually quite awkward and soft. Hard on the outside like he'd been through some things, but soft on the inside, almost like--

No. She wouldn’t go there.

She stuffed her phone in her pocket and headed out for her meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose goes to this "meeting," with a surprising result... which yields more surprising results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I'm having so much damn fun with this. Thanks for all the comments. I thought about cutting this off halfway through and making it a cliffie, but then I thought, naaaaah I won't be mean like that. 
> 
> And since this fic is from Rose's perspective (the second is more from his)... if the second half of this chapter feels a little out of character for him... well, let's just say he likes her enough to figure out a different way to put himself out there. In the show, he's been willing to take risks, even if it results in rejection. He definitely feels this is a risk worth taking. (And maybe he got some unsolicited advice from Ellie.) 
> 
> I have to imagine he had some game at some point, because a woman agreed to marry him and also have sex at least once, resulting in the birth of their child. And, cautiously, in this fic, he's trying to find it again with Rose. A few more years out from wrapping up Sandbrook, a few more years being away from Tess, a few more years with a healing heart (physically and emotionally), a few more years of friendship with Ellie, and more importantly, a few more years of growing a better relationship with Daisy, it's reasonable to think his capacity for taking risks like he does here is greater.

Rose quietly traced the patterns of wood on the bar of the hotel lounge where he and Daisy were staying.

She hadn’t put much effort into her appearance. Not that it mattered. This wasn’t a date. She’d done some light makeup and wore skinny jeans and an oversized sweater, the same she’d wear if this was trivia night with Mickey and Martha and Jake and Donna down at the pub.

Yep. It was just a friendly night at a lounge, with a man she hardly knew… who looked like the man whose last appearance had haunted her for years.

What was she doing? Why had she agreed to meet with him? Why couldn't she have just accepted his apology over the phone and been done with it?

Her mum had pried about who she was meeting, but Rose wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. The gloating was not something she was interested in hearing anytime soon.

“Rose?”

She recognized the Scottish burr, and she turned, mustering a small smile. “Yeah, hi.”

He’d dressed in a suit, much like she’d seen on the day she’d met him, without the tie. Hadn’t groomed his face. Did he always sport a beard?

He brushed a spot of imaginary lint from his suit, and she realize he hadn’t moved. “Ehm, come sit, I suppose.” She patted the seat next to her.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“Cabernet, please,” he directed to the bartender. “Can I get you anything?”

She held up her bottle.

“Right.”

“Wine. That's a bit posh.” She nudged him with her shoulder.

“Red's good for the heart.”

“Makes sense.”

“It’s been a few years since the pacemaker was put in, but I still try to take care of myself.”

“That's very wise."

“Thanks for coming, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.”

His right hand reached for the ring finger on his left, as if he'd had a nervous habit of spinning a wedding band, which was notably absent. She wondered for how long. “Again, I’m sorry,” he offered.

She smiled. “You’re not very good with people, are you?”

“What gave you that idea?”

She laughed.

The corner of his lips turned up and he sipped his wine. Rose thought it made him look nice.

“I can’t stand small talk,” he said. “It’s pointless.”

“Okay, then. You have a daughter. Tell me about her.”

“Yeah.” He pulled his mobile out of his jacket pocket and pulled up a few photos. They’d taken a few on their tours today. “She’s a good kid. Smart.”

“Where’s her mum?”

“Don’t ask that question.” It was said with a hint of a smile, so not entirely a bad question.

“Just asking. You said you don’t like small talk. Not a good relationship, then?”

“No. What about you? Any kids?”

“No, I don’t know if that’s for me. I do have a little brother, though, Tony. He’s seven.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I missed that age with my daughter.”

“Why?”

“I was absorbed in work.” He sipped his wine. "I loved my family, but I suppose this job isn't conducive for it."

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ve been trying to make up for it in the last couple of years. We’re a lot better. She’s been living with me for a while.”

“That’s good.”

He glanced at her. “Do you have any photos of your brother?”

“Yeah.” She pulled out her mobile. “Here he is,” she said, scrolling through her camera roll. “Strawberry blond, just like m’dad.” She moved to a second and a third. “We were baking cookies that day. He was four.”

He smiled. “I can tell by the flour mess.”

"He wouldn't stop eating the dough." And on the fourth, it wasn’t a selfie of Rose and Tony. It was her and her second Doctor. She stared for a moment in horror. “S-sorry. That was… sorry.” She snatched her mobile from the bar and stuffed it in her clutch.

He sat silently, and she could see him processing the image of the man who looked exactly like him. What he actually thought, she couldn’t discern.

“I’m really sorry. He--we were... well. Long story.”

He merely blinked.

“I should be going.” She fished around for a note to place on the bar and left.

\--

Rose worked on a file for the next few days and tried her best to stay focused. It was a basic immigration and assimilation case. There was an interplanetary war happening in the next system. Torchwood was glad to assist with refugees. She’d handled this kind of case numerous times before. And when she was with her clients on the phone or out in the field, she was fine.

When she was alone in her office and when she was alone in her flat, she kept replaying that last moment with him at the bar. And cringing. And trying not to cry over the Doctor.

She’d deleted the DI's number from her contacts. She’d probably never hear from him again, which was fine by her... sort of.

She had just secured some housing in a small relocation and transition community in the north when her mobile rang. She stared at the screen. The number had no name attached, but she knew who it was.

She took a deep breath before answering. “Yes?”

“DI Hardy, Wessex Police.”

“I know who you are. Listen, I’m really—”

“This isn’t a bad time, is it?”

“No, not really, but I wanted to—”

“Good. I’m working on your missing persons case.”

 _What the hell?_ “What?”

“The missing John Doe from your photo.”

“I don’t—I’m sorry. Do you have the wrong person? I didn’t open a case.”

“It’s a rather unusual case, considering the John Doe looks exactly like a younger me.”

“Yeah, I'm trying to apologize. I feel awful,” she replied softly. "I don't know how to explain everything without sounding like a nutter."

“I had to use my own photo in the system. There’s plenty of records for me that came up, but there’s not much about your John Doe. Any file is classified and belongs to Torchwood, and I don’t have the clearance for it.”

“It would, and you wouldn't.”

“But there’s only one, and it seems to be dated around the time of the original Cybermen attack on London.”

“Yeah.”

“So, instead, I approached it from a different angle. I searched for anything I could find about you. Nothing seems to be adding up. You’re also connected to that file, and then you showed up again three years later, almost eight years ago. You have records from before then, sure. Birth records. An identification number. A-Levels. But it doesn't seem real. That photo spread they did of you in the rags when you emerged into society six years ago, that child is convincing to the untrained eye, but I honestly don’t think she’s you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And you’ve a trained eye?”

“I do this for a living.”

“You’ve really been investigating me?”

“You leave a man sitting alone in a bar with a million questions and no answers, and he’s a detective with the means to find them. Why not?”

There it was, the reason he was calling. She smiled. “Did you have a warrant for that search?”

“Probable cause, Ms. Tyler. You seem suspicious. It’s my sworn duty to uphold the safety of the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I’m only doing my due diligence."

“Riiight," she drawled. "Due diligence.” _My arse._

“So, in order to close this case, I think you and I need to sit down for a few questions.”

Was this conversation _really_ happening? “Are you serious?”

“You don’t have to. I would understand. But I do think I’m owed at the very least an explanation as to why a younger version of me is in a photo I’ve never taken on your mobile, whether that's in person or not.”

“I suppose you are. Now I’m almost sorry I ran out on you.”

“It’s clearly an emotional situation for you. I’m not offering any judgments, my opinions on your employer and line of work aside.”

It didn’t escape her notice how much more articulate and confident he was in this conversation, framed in the context of his work. He was a good detective, she could tell (and also found it secretly incredibly attractive, but she "ignored" that). It probably also helped they were on the phone. He wasn't as nervous as he'd been at the bar.

Mostly, she had to admire the effort this emotional late bloomer of a man had taken to ask her the simple question of why she had that photo on her mobile. Certainly, he had a right to know, and he didn’t seem angry about it, either, which was nice. He was more curious than anything (she told herself; this was most assuredly not an elaborate, roundabout way to ask her to dinner, which wouldn’t feel invasive of whatever was going on with her, and which was also secretly incredibly attractive and which she also tried to "ignore").

“When and where do you want to meet for this interrogation, DI Hardy?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Britain's Worst Cop sit down to clarify a few things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll be one more chapter on this one, I think.
> 
> Working on this fic has made me want to tweak a few things in the next one before I post any new chapters on it. I hope that's alright!

“This is alright, isn’t it?” she asked herself as she worked on her makeup. “It’s not a _date_ date. Just a… regular date.” She’d wanted to make a little more effort this time, since she knew he’d wear a suit, though she was still planning on wearing jeans and a nice sweater. She’d leave her hair down and curl it. “Just a regular date with… an attractive man, and this is a stupid thing to do, isn’t it?” She stopped and assessed herself in the mirror.

Was she really ready for this? And for what, exactly? It’s not like this was going anywhere specific.

And yet, she _knew,_ just like she’d known with the Doctor on the day she’d told him, “There’s me.” Just like the day he’d told her, “I’m so glad I met you.” The Doctor had been the best thing to happen in her life, and, at that point, she’d been the same in his.

In the last few days, she’d thought of his parting words to her, once upon a time: _“Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life.”_ And she’d come to accept that's what he'd want for her, to live her life. She had to, or she wouldn’t be standing in front of the mirror, getting ready to meet a man. And that was all she wanted for him, to go on.

Hadn’t that been what Sarah Jane had told him in the school? If only Rose could speak to her now. She’d promised if Rose ever needed it, she’d be there; she could have really used her friendship in this moment. The memories would have to do.

Even still, it was hard. She’d promised him forever. She’d told him she wouldn’t leave him, not for anything, but she had. It wasn’t her fault, not even his, but she had. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m sorry, Doctor. I wish I could tell you that.”

She closed her eyes, picturing him on the beach all over again. He wasn’t angry, and he never would be. He’d forgive her in a heartbeat.

So she resolved to set aside her guilt for the night. It’s what the Doctor would want of her, right? If things didn’t go well, she could pick it right back up and continue where she left off.

The alternative… well.

She'd have to see how he felt after she explained everything. Perhaps he'd run away of his own accord, and then she wouldn't have to deal with putting it away forever. She didn't deserve that chance.

She was pleasantly surprised when he’d had the paps in mind. “I’ve dealt with that on my own, you’ve dealt with it. I’m not putting you through the ringer again.” It was quiet before, so he’d suggested they meet in the lounge of the hotel again. This time they sat in some comfy chairs in the corner, away from the windows.

“First of all,” she said, “I need to set something straight.”

“Go on.”

“I can’t keep calling you DI Hardy. Or Hardy. Seems too impersonal for a thing like this.”

“Miller calls me ‘knob’ an awful lot.”

She giggled. “I’m not calling you ‘knob.’”

“Oh, call me Alec. I’m not a fan of it, but it’ll do.”

“Why not?”

“Alec,” he said, sniffing. “Reminds me of my ex-wife berating me. And why do we need to use first names anyway? If I’m looking at you, you know I’m talking to you. It’s stupid.”

“Wow, Alec.”

“What?”

She grinned. “I bet you’re a laugh at parties.”

“I don’t go to parties. I hate parties.”

“You don’t like people.”

“It’s not that I don’t like people. I don’t like having to pretend, and people are pretending most of the time. People aren’t interested in being honest, and most people aren’t worth being honest with.”

She looked at the floor. “Yeah, well, I’m not sure you’re ready for this level of honesty.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have questions you need answered.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Just start at the beginning, I suppose.”

"I know this is all going to sound bonkers, but every word of it is real, I promise."

"Rose, you work for a secret government agency. I think I can handle it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Go on. I'm listening."

“He’s an alien.”

He nodded again. “Getting right to it, I see.”

She laughed. “I met him when he was trying to stop an alien invasion at my job.”

“Which was?”

“Henrik’s, a department store.”

“Never heard of that one.”

“That’s because it’s not here.”

“Not in London? Manchester or somewhere?”

“No.”

“Where?”

“You won’t leave if I tell you?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“You told me over the phone that my information didn’t add up.”

“It doesn’t.”

“There’s a reason I wasn’t around until eight years ago.”

“Which was?”

“I’m not even from this universe.”

Both eyebrows raised as he inhaled. “Christ, that’s a lot to take in.”

“I know. There’s a reason I haven’t gone on many dates since I got here.”

“Okay, so you’re from… a different universe, and there was an alien invasion at a department store.”

“Yes, and he blew up the whole shop. And the short of it is, I got in his ship and we traveled around time and space. It was for about two or three years linear time because he missed a landing once, a year late. My mum thought I was missing or dead for a year. Isn't that awful?"

"It would be."

"I’m not even sure how old I am anymore because you lose track of actual traveling time. I could have been with him longer, I dunno. The math makes my head hurt if I think about it because this universe runs ahead of the old one. 30, 31, 32 at the most is about as best as I can estimate.”

“You traveled around time _and_ space?”

“Yes. He had a time machine.”

He blinked slowly. “Give me a moment.”

“Okay.” She sat back and sipped at her drink as he processed things. She wondered briefly if she’d lose him after this conversation.

“Alright, continue.”

“Something else. The man in the photo. That’s not what he looked like when I started traveling with him.”

“How so?”

“He’s an alien, right? So with him, if he dies, his whole body changes, and he becomes a new person. Mostly. He’s still the same man, even if he’s got a different appearance and personality.”

“He died?”

“Yeah. Saving me. And then he changed into the man you saw.”

He nodded. “How does he look like me, then?”

She thought for a moment. “I don’t have an answer for that. But my mum, Jackie Tyler, she’s also from the other universe. The Jackie from here died when the Cybermen attacked. My dad, Pete Tyler, died in the other universe when I was a baby. They married once she and I were over here and they’ve never been happier. Even my mate Mickey’s double. He was called Ricky. He died in the attack, too. The Doctor used to call him Ricky anyway. It was a laugh.”

“How did you end up over here for good?”

“The walls between universes weren’t supposed to be open, but they were. The first time I came here, the file that’s restricted by Torchwood, me and the Doctor, that’s what he’s called—”

“What sort of name is that?”

She smiled. “That’s what I said. It was the name he took at some point. He never told me his real name. I think he liked it because he fixes things. That’s just sort of who he is, so it makes sense.”

He nodded.

“Anyway, me and the Doctor and my friend Mickey, we got pulled through to over here somehow, and we helped stop Lumic and the Cybermen. That’s why I was in that file with him. And then we went back home.”

“But you’re here now. Is he here?”

“No. Do you remember all that climate change back then?”

“Sort of. I was busy at the time.”

“Doing what? You keep saying that.”

“It’s a story for another time. What happened?”

“There was another invasion because the walls were fractured, the same fracture we’d been pulled through. The Doctor’s plan was to use the breach to seal itself, and the aliens would all get sucked in. I was almost pulled into the void as he was sealing the breach. Pete, my dad now, saved me in time and brought me over. But once the breach was sealed, the Doctor couldn’t find a way through to come get me. The best he could do was find a tiny crack and send a message.”

“Did you love him?”

“I did. Still do, in some ways. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever known.”

He inhaled. “Anything else?”

“That’s the very condensed version. I hope it answers your question.”

“As much as it can. I don’t understand the theory of it all, and I’m sure there’s a lot more details in all that. You’ll have to explain it again later.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I understand if it’s all too much. Maybe I can get that file for you so you won’t think I’m making it up.”

He shrugged. “Until two weeks ago or so, I wouldn’t have believed it, but I stood in a tunnel full of metal shells built for human brains. You had technology that was able to scan me and give you information. Anything is possible, I suppose. I’ll just take your word for it.”

“What else do you want to know?”

“Why wait two years after arriving to come out of the dark?”

“We had to put together my whole life from scratch. Mostly, though, I wanted to find a way back, but nothing ever worked. The walls really had closed. Then Mum had Tony. Things changed for me. I never stopped looking, but if I had to stay here, I at least finally had a reason for it.”

He nodded and inhaled. “So my last question.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry to ask this, but it needs to be asked.”

“Go ahead,” she said softly.

“Is he why you’re sitting here tonight, with me?”

She reached out to touch his arm. “Oh, god, no. I’m sorry if you’ve thought that. No.”

“It’s just—I can’t help but remember your face the first time you met me, like you’d seen a ghost. It must have been awful.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“I don’t want to intrude—”

“You’re not, I promise. I’ve made peace with everything. And, yeah, you looked like him, and it was jarring at first, but then you were nothing like him. That was quickly established, DI Grumpy.” She smiled and nudged his foot with her own.

“Yeah, well, you caught me at work. Can you imagine what that was like for me? Going about my life, and then all of a sudden there’s this alien… thing.”

“Culture shock, I know.”

“And then…” He shifted in his seat, leaning back and crossing his arms. “And then, you’re trying to figure out how to get a woman’s number when this case is done, if you even have the fortitude, and she scares the living shite out of you.”

She laughed. “Sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s alright.”

“Did you really want my number?”

“’Course.”

“Do you really get angry like that?”

“Obviously, I’m Scottish, so yeah.”

She laughed.

“Generally, it’s only at work. Putting up with people’s lies and stupidity, even from my own detectives, I ought to get paid more for that alone. I’d’ve already been able to retire to a small island off the coast of Thailand if that were the case.”

“It’s tough, but someone’s got to do it.”

“And the rest of you are the plucky comic relief along the way. People like you and Miller, you remind me not to take myself so seriously.” He adjusted his jacket. “Don’t tell her I said that. Since you’re asking me questions now, what else do you want to know? What did you find?”

“Find?”

“You’ve got access to everything at Torchwood. What dirt did you find on me?”

“I didn’t look.”

“Sure you did. I’m Britain’s worst cop. There’s all kinds of nasty stories in the press.”

“First of all, I think that’s far from true, you being the worst cop. And your life is your own to share. If there’s something you want me to know, you’ll tell me.”

“Oh. I guess that makes me an awful person.”

“No, you’re not an awful ‘pair-son.’” She laughed at the face he made.

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“No, but you’re an investigator. It’s in your nature to be curious. I don’t blame you for trying to figure it out, but yeah, I would have preferred if you’d just asked me. Maybe not in this particular instance, I wasn’t up for it, but if you ever want to know something you can just ask.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. I… do have a question for you.”

“What?”

“You said you had to use your own photo for your search. What photo did you use?”

“Oh, no. I’m not answering that.”

“You couldn’t have used a recent photo.”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

She bit her lip and smiled. “Your beard.”

“Oh.”

“Go on, I need to see what you used.”

He leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “Honestly, I had to dig up an old wedding photo.”

“Really?” Was he _that_ desperate to find information on her?

“Yeah, and I’m not showing it to you.”

“Why do you still have it?”

“I dunno, she boxed up some things before I left and shoved it at me on my way out the door.”

“Are you going to keep them?”

“No point. I don't really want to. Dais might want some things. I’ll ask her.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“I’ll burn them, I don’t know. What else is there to do? I could recycle, I suppose.”

“Nah, burning would be way more fun.”

“Yeah, d’you wanna come?” He said it nonchalantly, but his eyes told another story as they held her gaze.

She shrugged and looked away. “I do need a holiday. Someone told me recently to go sit on the beach and read a book.”

“Plenty of beach in Broadchurch.”

“Maybe you can tell me your story then.”

“Yeah. Maybe I will.”

“Hi.”

That voice was soft, but Alec nearly jumped out of his skin. “Dais, hi. Daisy.”

She laughed softly. “Hi, Dad.”

“What are you doing back here so soon?”

“I just needed to get something from the room and I saw you. I thought you’d be out somewhere.”

“No. This is… ehm.” He motioned feebly at Rose. “This is—”

“Rose. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hi, Rose.” She grinned at her dad. “I’ll see you later.”

He nodded. “Don’t be out too late.”

“I won’t.”

“Be careful, Daisy.”

“I will.” She went around the corner to the elevator.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“’S fine.”

“She knew I was with someone, but I hadn’t wanted to tell her who yet. This isn’t something I normally do.”

“It’s different when there’s a kid. I get that.”

“So is this a…”

She could tell he was about to ask a serious question, the way he retreated into himself.

He inhaled. “A thing, whatever this is.”

“You mean… you and me?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s still early days. We don’t have to put a label on it.”

He nodded once. “Right.” This poor man was trying so hard right now.

“Alec, what I mean is, you and I have both been through a lot on our own. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to things like this.”

“I don’t have a great record m’self.”

“Exactly. So why don’t I make a visit to Broadchurch, and we can, y’know, see what happens?”

“Yeah. That’s… that’s good.”

“It is.”

He hesitated before speaking again. “I like you. A lot.”

She hadn’t expected that. “Really?”

“I wouldn't say it if I didn’t mean it.”

She liked that about him, his honesty. And she could only imagine how difficult it was for him to be so vulnerable. “Even after all that? Even though I sound like a crazy person?”

“Nah, you’ve just had… different life experiences.”

“Out of this world.”

He actually laughed at that, quiet, but it was there.

“I like you, too, Alec,” she said softly. “By the way.”

He searched her eyes for a moment, and then nodded. “Good.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Even if you are Britain’s worst cop.”

He laughed again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose goes to Broadchurch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note the ratings change, for upcoming chapters. Just a reminder, I will be using what I've already written in "I Just Called" and tweaking it, and taking that fic down. New chapters from that material and beyond will be added to this fic.

_I’m at the inn,_ she sent.

 _Give me 30,_ he replied.

_Perfect. Enough time to settle._

She took her time unpacking her luggage and descended the stairs to the foyer, carrying a thick manila envelope. He was already waiting for her.

Becca Fisher was in near shock. “Oh. She’s your guest, Hardy?”

“Yeah. Don’t go spreading it around, please,” he answered.

“You know me, discreet as they come. You both have a lovely time, yeah?”

“Thanks.” He nodded.

“Rose, if you need something to do while he’s working, I’ll be happy to recommend some places. This one works long hours.”

“I’ll keep that in mind," she answered.

“Only if there’s a case.” He eyed the packet in Rose’s hand. “What’s that?”

“It’s the case file I wanted you to look at.”

“I see.”

“I’ll explain more in a moment.”

“Right. Let’s be off?”

When they were out the door, she said, “I brought the file for you. Dad let me make a copy. We’ll have to burn it, too. I also have the videos on my phone.”

“You didn’t have to do this, Rose.”

“I just wanted you to be sure.”

He took it off her hands. “Fine. I’ll take care of this later.”

\--

Dinner was pleasant, and then they headed back to his house. Daisy was in the living room, reading a book.

“I’d’ve thought you’d be out, Dais.”

“Not tonight. Chloe couldn’t.”

“Alright, darlin’. You won’t mind us, will you?”

“No, Dad.” She smiled.

He nodded. “Good. Rose, I’ve got the box ready if you’re still up for this. Daisy’s gone through it already. I even got one of those little fire pits for the occasion.”

“It’s nice,” Daisy said. “Dad and I used it the other night.”

Rose smiled. “Why not? It’s a nice night.”

“You can grab that throw off the back of the sofa," he directed. "I’ll meet you out there.”

In minutes, they were both sitting on the wooden bench and watching the fire catch on the wood in the small cast iron pit.

“You wanted to see the photo I used,” he started.

“Mmm. Still do.”

He opened the box beside him and held the picture out for her.

She studied it, and then giggled.

“What’s funny?”

“You look like… one of Tony’s little Lego figures, you without the beard.”

“It’s not my most fashionable moment, I’ll admit.”

“Definitely keep the beard.”

He tossed the photo in the fire and then pulled a sizeable packet of papers out and thumbed through them. “Christ, she put copies of the divorce papers in here. Several. How many did she make?”

“Guess she really wanted to rub it in.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. I didn't really look in here before. Just for the photo.” He found old letters they’d written, movie ticket stubs, plane tickets from their honeymoon, among other things. All went into the flames.

Rose noticed he looked a little less careworn as the box emptied.

He picked up Rose’s manila folder next to him. “And…” He tossed it into the fire.

She reached forward, but he held her arm. She looked at him in disbelief. “But you didn’t even open it!”

His grip lessened, but he didn't take away his hand. “Nah. Didn’t need to. D’you want some tea?”

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise."

She searched his face. She knew that look of sincerity all too well.

"Tea?" he prompted.

“Yeah, I could go for a cuppa.”

“Milk, sugar?”

She grinned. “Yes, honey.”

“What?”

She laughed. "Both, please.

He smiled. “I’ll be back.”

She looked out over the beach, lost in the push and pull of the waves. It was soothing. She closed her eyes, savoring the breeze on her cheeks. There was a time in her life when she would have despised a quiet life, but she'd changed since then, hadn't she? All people did at some point in their lives, she supposed. She'd been grounded for so long. She loved her life among the stars, and she would never trade that time for anything else, but maybe it was time for something different.

“Rose.” He’d sat next to her again and was holding out her mug.

She smiled at him. “This is nice out here. Quiet.”

“Yeah. Suppose it is.”

She sipped… and had a hard time swallowing it. “Blimey, this is…”

“Oh, is it too strong?”

“Yeah, even with the milk and sugar. Just wasn’t expecting that.” She giggled.

“I used to smoke. Sorry.”

She nudged him with her shoulder. “I’ll fix my own from now on.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, cherishing the warmth of the tea in their hands.

“So,” she started. “I told you mine. You tell me yours.”

He set his mug next to him. “There was a case, Sandbrook. Tess and I had been growing apart before then. I was wrapped up in the job anyway, but this case turned into a different animal.”

“How so?”

“Two girls killed, nineteen and twelve, Lisa and Pippa. They were cousins.” He swallowed. “Still hard to talk about.”

“Take your time.”

He sighed. “I found Pippa’s body in the river. I nearly drowned for it. We never found Lisa, not until after we were finished the second time.”

“Oh, god.”

“I was so sure it was this one man, Lee was his name. The one piece of evidence that would have pinned it on him was stolen from Tess’s car when she’d stopped off with the other DS for the night. The case was lost because of it.”

“I’m sorry. That’s awful.”

“I took the blame.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want Daisy knowing what her mum did. But by then, the damage had been done. I walked away from my family. My heart went bad. I came to Broadchurch, and Miller and I solved the Latimer case. While that was in court, she and I worked on the Sandbrook case, and we cracked that one, too. Well, it was Miller, really, who put everything together in the end. And that’s when I had my surgery.”

“Oh.”

“And because we were working on Sandbrook, we had to bring Tess back in.”

“How was that?”

“Awful.”

“So what happened?”

“With the case?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. That wasn't what she'd meant, but she could imagine how hard this was for him.

“Pippa’s father killed Lisa because he was drunk and jealous and she and Lee. He was going to pin it on Lee, so he killed Pippa. Lee’s wife helped hide Pippa’s body and she was the one who stole the evidence for insurance.”

“That’s a mess.”

“It was.”

“And what happened with Tess?”

“She came round when I had my surgery. After we solved the case, I went home to be close to Daisy. I tried to make it work with her again, and we just couldn’t make a go of it. Daisy had some trouble of her own and needed to get away, and so I brought her back here.” He paused. “I think Tess really did feel bad after the surgery, but I don’t know why I let it give me hope. That was stupid of me.”

“Maybe you wanted what you thought was best for Daisy.”

He nodded. “That, yeah. And I did miss her, to be honest. Maybe I was tired of being alone more than anything. And even though Miller and I had found all the new evidence, new leads, she still wouldn’t reopen the case, wanted to protect her career. I should’ve seen then.”

“We all ignore things we don’t want to see sometimes.”

“All I wanted to do was fix what I broke. I put the case right. I thought I could put other things right, too.”

“That only works if both parties really want to. It’s not all your fault.”

“I wish it could have been better for Daisy. I don’t regret walking away from Tess. I’m better for it. I just regret doing it the way I did in front of my daughter.”

“I’m sure you did the best you could.”

“Yeah.”

She enjoyed the way he nearly jumped when she found his hand with hers.

“What?” he said.

She looked up at him. “I hope you can forgive yourself someday.”

“Maybe.”

She smiled, and then rested her head on his shoulder.

\--

Inside the house, Daisy looked up from the sofa at the pair outside. It was odd, seeing her dad with someone. He’d been lonely for so long, even if he was happy to have her around.

She could see the difference in his eyes when Rose laughed or smiled. It was something Daisy had hardly ever seen in him. She wasn’t looking sometimes, and she hadn’t known him very long, so she wouldn’t have seen it. 

Hope.

She didn’t miss the symbolism as he was burning things from his past while sitting with Rose. Someone new. Something new. She hoped it would work out for him. She really wouldn’t mind having Rose around. She’d probably make a good friend, or something more. Daisy could tell she was good at listening.

Then she felt like she was intruding, so she headed up to her room.

\--

“Can I get you back to the inn?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll call a cab.”

“Thank you for the good night.”

“Thank you,” he answered.

To her surprise, he rode in the cab with her. When they arrived, and she reached for his hand. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He merely looked at her, mouth slightly agape.

She grinned and passed a note to the cabbie.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened during the rest of Rose's stay in Broadchurch.

“Ms. Tyler?”

She looked up from reading the _Broadchurch Echo_ at a table in a small café near the inn.

The woman smiled. “I didn’t know you were around.”

“Miller, right?”

“Yes, Ellie Miller, hi. Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Nice to see you. Are you here working the case? I’d’ve thought they’d taken care of that by now.”

“Oh, no, I’m…” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Not here on the case. It’s been handled.”

“Oh.” Her eyebrows nearly went through the roof. “Oh. You’re here for fun?”

“Eh, yeah, you could say that. Call me Rose, by the way.”

“Pardon, Rose, but are you here to see—”

“Yeah, I am.” She smiled lightly.

She grinned. “He didn’t tell me. That’s alright. It’s his business. I think he doesn’t want me to give him a hard time.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Rose laughed. “Do you… wanna grab lunch or something while I’m here? I took the whole week.”

“The whole week, eh?”

She shrugged. “I needed a holiday anyway.”

“Might as well kill two birds. Broadchurch is a lovely town, history aside. Yeah, that’d be great, lunch. I have your number. Mind if I text you? I should have some time today round noon if nothing creeps up. It’s been a slow week.”

“No, that’s fine. I didn’t really have anything planned, so that’s perfect.”

\--

Ellie poked her head into Hardy’s office. “I’m going for lunch.”

He didn’t look up from his computer. “Have fun.”

“I will. I’m meeting Rose.”

That got his attention. “How—”

“I ran into her while on the coffee run, had a chat. Nice of you to tell me she was in.”

He took off his glasses. “Aw, Miller, I didn’t mean anything.”

“It’s new for you. I get it.”

“I just don’t want it to be a big deal.”

“I get that. I don’t blame you. You have a reputation to uphold.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“It’s the truth. I don’t think people would know what to do with you if you weren’t miserable.”

“SOCO Brian couldn't call me ‘shit face’ anymore.”

“He probably would anyway. I’ll see you in a bit.”

\--

Rose bit into her chicken salad and hummed. “Good sandwich.”

“Yeah, this is a good café. I can even get Tom to eat with me over here on a good day.”

“Tom?”

“My son. I have another boy, Fred, a wee’un.”

“Oh, lovely.”

“Not Tom, most of the time.”

“Ah, _that_ age.”

“Yes.” She laughed. “No, he’s just had a rough go of it.”

“I can imagine.”

They chatted for a bit about Rose’s family, and then Ellie went right for it. “So I don’t mean to pry, but how’d he get you down here?”

“He called me after the case. Said you wouldn’t leave him alone.”

She grinned. “I wasn’t… terribly awful about it. Sometimes he just needs a good nudge, but he wouldn’t have called you if he hadn’t wanted to. So what happened next?”

“He brought Daisy to town to look at universities and we met up at a lounge. Ehm, he… the next time he called me…” She fought a grin.

“What did he do?”

“He was curious about something, and called me about it like it was a case.”

“He did? Like he was on the job?”

“Yes. It was... a bit nerdy and cute, if I'm honest.”

Ellie laughed. “That’s a side of him I never would have guessed was there. He must really like you.”

“That’s what he said.”

“He _told_ you?”

“Yes. And then we met again, and I wanted to visit.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re here. I’m just warning you, if we get a big case, it nearly consumes him. He’ll be preoccupied until he solves it.”

“I understand. I’m in law enforcement, too, sort of.”

“Right, Torchwood. Has he told you about his past?”

“Yes.”

“Even his ex?”

Rose nodded.

“The Sandbrook case, that was what did them in, though I think it’s a shit excuse on her part. She blamed him because Sandbrook took up his whole existence, but she knows what the job calls for. She was looking for an out, I think. A relationship doesn’t crumble overnight.”

“He took the blame for it,” she said softly.

“Right. I think that says everything you’ll need to know about Hardy, him being willing to sacrifice what he did.”

“He’s a good man. Unassuming.”

“Good word. Unpretentious. And simple, really. I suspect he’s easy to please when it comes to the heart, now that he’s over the worst of everything, and eager to please. He’s a big softie, no matter how much he wants you to think otherwise. You can’t tell by the way he brews his tea, though.”

“I’ve never had a stronger cuppa.”

“Oh, good, you know already. It’s his biggest flaw, really. He’ll microwave it when push comes to shove.”

“Oh, god.” Rose laughed.

“And what about you? You seem to have taken him right in stride. Obviously your first meeting didn’t run you off. Not literally, anyway. You did book it out of the car park.”

“I used to know someone like him.”

“Have some experience? You were together?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

She blushed. “I’m… sorry, I can’t divulge too much.”

“That’s fine.”

“It’s not you.”

"It's alright. You don’t know me yet. I understand. I’m just his friend. You can share when later if you want. If Hardy trusts you, that’s good enough for me. He’s a good judge of character. You’ve told him, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t believe in keeping secrets.”

“Long as you’re honest with him, that’s most important to me.”

“The same goes for you, though. If Alec trusts you, that’s good enough for me.”

Ellie’s eyebrows hit the roof. “Alec, is it? He won’t even let me call him that. I’ll do it to annoy him sometimes.”

“You’re good friends, aren’t you?”

“He’s my best friend. I wouldn’t have made it through without him.”

\--

Alec and Rose decided before she arrived to sign up for one of those group painting nights. He was a little reluctant at first to the suggestion, but she eventually wore him down. Really, all she had to do was say _please,_ and he was ready to cave. He wasn’t too keen to show off his lack painting skills, but she’d promised him no judgment. He supposed if she said it, she meant it, and so he’d agreed. Besides, as she said, it was more for the experience than anything.

She didn’t judge, per se, but after a few sips of wine, she glanced at his bowl of fruit in process. “Bit lop-sided,” she noted.

“I told you I wasn’t very good at this.”

“It’s charming,” she added with a smile.

He merely touched her nose with his wet brush.

“Did you just paint my nose?”

He turned his attention to his painting. “Evidence would seem to suggest so.”

She pulled out her mobile and examined herself. “I like it.” She grinned and leaned over and, to his surprise, kissed him on the cheek, rubbing her nose just before she pulled away.

A bit of moisture clung to his skin. “Did you just paint my cheek?” He instinctively swiped at it, but she caught his hand and laughed.

“Leave it. We match now.” She smiled, and her tongue caught between her teeth.

That was a new smile. He rather liked it. “Perfect.”

She took another sip of wine. “More perfect than your painting. Back to work, Hardy,” she said seriously and nudged him with her shoulder.

“I didn’t realize you were the Chief Super.”

“I don’t know about that, but I am chiefly super.”

“I’m sure you are.”

“Alec Hardy, are you flirting with me?” she asked coyly.

“I’m sure it’s not as chiefly super as when you do.”

She peered at him for a few seconds, and he tried not to look as panicked as he felt. What did she think of him, this grumpy old man? Who, for once, thought maybe his plan to live as a hermit for the rest of his days wasn’t such a good plan anymore?

“It works,” she said. She was certainly enjoying this, wasn’t she? Flustering him. He wasn’t daft enough to not pick that up. And he found he didn’t mind at all.

More than anything, he didn’t want to look foolish in front of her. He didn’t consider himself to be anything special, no matter how many times Miller told him to the contrary. And he’d been on a date or two since Tess, albeit unsuccessfully. He’d only just fully resigned himself to accepting that dating wasn’t his thing, not that it ever really had been. Whatever skill he had in earning the favor of women had been lost. Which was fine. He was happy to have a relationship with his daughter again; that was all he needed in life anymore.

And then Rose had sort of blustered into his life like a wind off the sea. How he’d cursed himself after their first meeting. He wasn’t sure what luck he’d stumbled across to get her to agree to another meeting with him, her history aside. Thank god Miller had the foresight to ask for her number. He owed her, and he wasn’t sure how to repay her, as much as she’d already saved him.

The rest of the evening passed smoothly. She’d told him to keep her painting as she left the cab. Fine, he could keep it at the house and give it back to her at the end of the week.

He wasn’t sure he’d ever be over her kissing him on the cheek, as she did a second time that night. He was far from displeased with it, but the affection was new to him. Even that affection in Tess had waned long before she’d decided to be unfaithful. Truth be told, he wanted more with her. He wanted a real kiss. He wanted to hold her.

This time would be different, he resolved. His failed marriage was partly his own fault. This time around, whether he and Rose made it that far, for as long as she’d agree to be with him, he’d do better, listen better, be more present. Having Daisy around had already helped him with that.

And Rose, she was so good at it. He felt so accepted with her. He could be himself, no judgment or pressure to conform to unspoken standards. Welcomed, that was a good way to put it. She had this ability to create warmth, and sitting next to her was like coming in from a long day in the cold to a warm cuppa and cozying up next to a fire.

But would she want _more_ with him, too?

\--

The rest of the week passed by similarly, both gently testing the waters.

And then came the end of the week. They’d decided on dinner at his house. Daisy had offered to help him cook before she left for the evening because it’d been a while, but he insisted he’d be fine. Chicken parmesan should be simple enough.

“Are you nervous at all?” Daisy asked.

He shrugged. “She’s been here all week, already been at the house.”

“You like her, then?”

“Yeah, I do. What d’you think, darlin’? Your opinion’s important.”

“As long as you’re happy, then I am. I haven’t seen much of her, but she seems really nice, and I think she makes you feel better.”

“You think so?”

“You’ve been a little less grumbly this week.”

He chuckled at that and smiled, giving the pasta a stir. “I suppose. You’d know better than anyone.”

They both heard the knock on the sliding door. “I’ll get it,” Daisy said. She poked her head back in a moment later. “It’s Chloe. And I’m staying at the Latimers' tonight.”

“Oh. Have a nice time.” He held his arm out for her and kissed her hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yep.”

“Be safe, please. Let me know you made it over.”

“I will. Have a good night.” She smiled and turned to leave.

It occurred to him a few minutes later when Rose texted she was on her way why Daisy might have made those plans. Both eyebrows shot straight up. “Oh, Christ, she didn’ have to do that.” He ran a hand down his face. “That’s embarrassin'. She wouldn’t… not wi’ me.” His stomach sank.

He didn’t have long to wallow in his misery, because Rose had soon rapped on the sliding door.

“Brought some Pinot Noir.” She held up the bottle, which he took and examined.

“Good choice, can’t go wrong with a Pinot. Dinner’s in the kitchen.”

It was pleasant. He’d done a fine job with the food. He was quiet, Rose thought, which was normal, but she knew the difference between content quiet and thinking quiet, and judging by how he kept fiddling with his fork around the plate, he wasn’t content. She wondered how to get it out of him without prying.

Dishes were gently collected and set in the sink. “Want to sit on the sofa for a bit?” he asked.

“Sounds good.”

“More wine?”

“Yeah.” She left the kitchen, him following with their glasses, and they sipped in silence for a bit. Rose opened her mouth to say something, but he spoke first.

He leaned forward and reached for something next to the couch. “I have your painting, figured I’d return it before you left.”

She smiled. “No, I wanted you to keep it here. Find someplace nice to hang it.”

“Oh.”

“Ideally you should hang them both in the same space, yours and mine. That’s the point.” She began to suspect what was bothering him.

“Where d’you think?”

“I dunno, wherever it looks good. In here, or in the loo, or… I dunno, maybe your room.”

He stared at the canvas. Rose could feel the heat radiating off of him; he was definitely nervous about how the night would go. This she could handle.

She cleared her throat. “Maybe I can see it next time I’m here.”

“You think?”

“Would you like for me to see it the next time I’m here?”

“In… my room, you mean?”

“Yeah. I can visit again and we can, y’know, see where things go.”

“That’d be nice.”

“Do you really think so or are you just agreeing with me?”

“No, I do. I thought about it earlier. Daisy decided to stay over at a friend’s, and then I realized why.”

“Thoughtful of her.”

“Then I thought, there’s no way she could possibly be interested in anything like that, not with me. I’m an old man.”

“You’re not that old.”

“Only a little old, then.”

“Only when you’re grumpy.”

“They’ve had to replace my heart already. My other one went bad.”

“Only because you tried to do what you thought was right.” She slid her hand down his arm and snuggled into his side. “Pacemaker or flesh is of no consequence. I said I liked you before I visited this week, and I meant it then, I did. And after spending time with you…” She met his eyes as he turned his head. “I like you, Alec.”

He didn’t say anything, didn’t look away. Rose found it hard to breathe under his gaze.

She bit her lip and leaned up, her eyes dropping to his lips. When she looked up again, he was still watching her. She smiled and leaned in. His lips were soft and hesitant. Just as she made to pull away, his fingers laced with hers and he caught her bottom lip between his. She held onto him with her free hand and pulled her knees beneath her, breaking their kiss in the process. She giggled at his grunt and his parted lips in confusion. “Sorry.” She cupped his cheek and his arm found its way around her waist, and the kiss grew deeper, his tongue gently begging for entrance, and a moment passed in bliss.

Then his mobile rang. He groaned.

Rose opened her eyes as he moved. “What is it?”

“Can people not be stupid for one night? If that’s a case come in…” He pulled the blasted device out of his jacket hung on the back of a chair. He answered curtly. “This had better be important, Miller.” He ruffled his hair. “Rose is here, can we get her back to the Traders first? … Thanks.” He ended the call. “Looks like a homicide in the next village over. I’m sorry.”

“Duty calls.”

“I’m glad tonight’s your last, then. I tend to fixate.”

She walked to him. “It’s alright. Ellie told me.”

“She’s on her way.” He shrugged on his jacket. “I’m sorry again.”

“Don’t be.”

“You’re alright with this?”

“Alec, it’s part of your job.”

He pressed a brief kiss to her lips.

Her head was still swimming. “I suppose we’ll have to continue this another time.”

His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “We will.” Lights appeared in the front door. “That’ll be her.”

She picked up her purse from the table and followed him out.

Alec opened the front passenger door for her.

Ellie looked surprised at the gesture. “Hello, Rose.” She smiled at the rear view mirror. “Hardy, that’s polite of you.”

“Just get us there, please.” He fastened the seat belt.

“Please? Yes, Sir. Sorry I ruined your night. I’m sure you were having a lovely time.”

Rose said, “We were, but it’s completely alright.”

Ellie briefly looked over. “Perfect timing otherwise, unless you wanted to stick around during a case.”

She shrugged. “Who knows, might have been fun.”

“Ha! Alec Hardy, fun on a case? Not since he’s stopped being nice to people.”

Rose snorted.

“Ask him about that the next time you see him. Hopefully soon, you think? I’d love to grab lunch again. Or… oh, I’d love to host dinner. Maybe you could meet Beth, too.”

“Beth?”

“Latimer, Danny’s mom.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’d be nice to meet more people here.”

“She’d love you. We’ve been friends for a bit.” Ellie spilled some of the details of their friendship as she drove. “Anyway, Traders’.” She parallel parked in front of the building. “It’s been lovely, Rose. Don’t be afraid to text or call.”

“I will, Ellie. Thank you for the warm welcome.” He opened the door for her and she stood. “Well, Alec.”

Ellie called out, “Oh, go walk her upstairs, Hardy. That body’s not getting any deader. SOCO Brian can wait.”

Rose looked grateful. “You sure, Ellie?”

“Yeah, go on. I’ll be out here.”

She grabbed his hand and they walked inside together. Becca Fisher sat behind the desk with a raised eyebrow, but neither of them noticed as they ascended the stairs. “Here we are," she said, stopping at her door.

“Under other circumstances this might have been ideal.”

She gave a breathy laugh. “Yeah, it would. You be careful, yeah? Take care of yourself. And if you need a break, call me.”

He ducked his head to kiss her again, humming when she lightly tugged on his lapels. “Bye, Rose.”

She had to lean on the wall as he made his way down the stairs and lingered after he was out of view. That low, Scottish brogue of his last words had her pinned to the hard surface, and she wished desperately to be pinned to the mattress inside her room instead.


End file.
